New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-17
PRICE THREE CENTS.
SHARP'S DAY OF TRIAL HERE.
HOW HE LOOKS AND ACTS IN COURT.

every one concerned In IL Is braced for great
cohtcS. How long 1t will last h question no
one likes to think about. The technical charge
which Sharp is before the bar of justice to answer
IS that OF having offered bribe TO Ludolph A.
Fullgraf to influence his official action as an
Alderman of New-forl< upon the application OF
Sharp's Broadway Surface Railway Company for
a franchise. The trial is being held in the Court
OF Oyer and 1ermner before Justice Barrett
When the Judge took his seat on the bench al
IL a. m. yesterday, the courtroom was crowded
TO its fullest limits. Crier Ricketts, has es;ab.
lhhed cast-iron rule Of permitting no one Ia
enter the room after its seating accommodation
has been exhausted. Hundreds of curious people
were therefore turned away. Judge Barrett looked
extremely well. His darllgray hair and beard
were neatly trimmed and curled. His manner
was that which always distinguishes him upon the
bench, calm, dignifed and attentive. The Judge
enters upon this with some reluctance. IIe
only consented TO sit when convinced that his
doing SO was an imperative public duty. lie
has been removed from Chambers, where a tire
mendous calendar was engrossing his attention
much TO the disgust of the attorneys engaged In
its cases, many Of whom had by consent been
waiting for his term. But Presiding Justice Var
Brunt found himself compelled to request Judge
Barrett to leave all this work and to conduct
the case of Sharp. Efforts had been made to
secure the attendance OF Judge Daniels, but his
l-health restrained him, and at last Judge Barrett
was Informed that If he did not take the case
1t would simply result in its postponement until
June, when no sits in the Oyer and Terminer by
regular assignment The necessity Of an immediate
disposition Of Sharps case was urged upon the
Judges attention, and he finally consented 10 sit.
The presence Of Judge Barrett the bench
recalls an incident last summer when Mr. StclSney,
Of Sharps counsel, asked him for an order chang.
ing the venue from New-Yorl< TO some Other
county, on the ground Of prejudice. In hs
warmth Mr.. Stic<ney went far to intimate
in unmstalxeble terms that even the judiciary
of New-YorlS were liable to be influenced by theit
love Of public applause fear of public disaP
proval in the tnal OF the case. Justice Barrett
replied sternly: BE careful, Mr.. Stcllney. Il u
falls to my lot to try Mr.. Sharp, you may be
assured that his personality will provoke more
interest in me than that Of any other indicted
person. and his case will be heard and disposed
Of with as little prejudice as interest Mn
stclney bowed Pm sure Of it, your HONOR
he said He may wen be sure of it.
Sharp looks better than he did two weeks ago.
when his counsel moved for the dismissal of the
Indictment. His face is not fabby as II was
then. But at his best Sharp 1s not thing OF
beauty. He has round, bullet head, with
big bald spot on top, over which few faithful
cheeks are full and rather tend TO Overhang his
Jaw-bones Veins OF that peculiar color which
indicates taste for rye course hither and ththei
over his cheeks. His eyes small and set
well back, and surrounded by deep dark
circles. His upper lip is unpleasantly PROMINENT
and as ne sits impassve and seemingly only hall
interested in the proceedings, with his mouth
always open, his heavy, oundshouldered body in
ollned slightly forward and his cold gray eycs
gazing eXpressionlessly ahead of him, he presents
an ungraci0us appearance. If ne has lived the
pure and hallowed life slSctched for him by Mr..
Sticl<ney, he must have done il in spite Of his
looks
SSeated with him at the defendants table were
Albert StIckney ex-Judge William Fuller
Mitchell all of whom are Sharp's counsel. They
were reinforced IN the afternoon by John E. Par
sons who was detained from the morning session.
The State was represented by the Dis rict-Attor-
ney, Mr. Nicol. Colonel Fellows and Mr.. Semple,
all of whom are the regular staff of the office. Fred
the prosecution when it was supposed that Colonei
Fellows could not be depended on to appear. But
when the Colonel returned from Arkansas.
he said he had two ambitions in life-ons
was to sum up in the case of JAG sharp
and the second to sun M in the case of Clearv.
He said he had been misjudged, and he wanted n
chance to show that no other reason than his SICK
ness had called hun from his post Of cuy Dis
trict,Attorney MARITIME told the Colonel that he
should have IT, and he resumed his old place Mr.
Condert has therefore withdrawn from the casa
Colonel Feows's pride is reused and il is expected
est effort of mis- life.
Among those in the courtroom was Rollin NJ.
Squire, ex-Commissionero of Public Works, who bad
q letter TO Dstrct-AttOrney MaItine, asking
to be allowed to go 60 Europe this
summer without prejudice to his case. Mr. Squire
thinks he has been badly treated He insists that
he ought to have been tried long before this and
that it is an outrage upon him TO keep an unrled
indictment over his mead He at least wants the
assurance that while heis away during the summer
his case shall not be called Inspector Byrnes,
highly eated over his clever capture of the New.
Haven murderers, took a look into the court aud
smiled encoura cement TO Mr. NicoH. Frank J.
DuplgnaGc, Of counsel for James H. Richmond and
appeared for an hour or more.
The proceedings were opened by Mr.. MARITIME.
who moved that the case of the People versus Sharp
Clerk Sparks white-h haired and stately, who only
appears in court upon great and ceremonious oeca-
Jacob Sharp" he said. "arc you ready tor
trial :"
Sharp had stood up and paused moment on his
feet the target of all eyes. Yes he mnrmured.
1--WE are !" called out Mr. Sticknev. land we de-
sire the Court to direct the Dlstrict-Attorney TO
choose upon what count he will go TO trial.
We elect the first count, which charges the
Offering Of bribe to Alderman Fullgrab," Mr..
MARITIME replied.
moned to attend for service. The only names upon
the panel known to fame were those OF Clint
Wheeler and Richard X. Eek. Neither was
present.
Ii is not exaggeration to say that the Commits
sioner of Jurors could not have drawn by design
ont Of the Sr sGTd during SF % ay ncnD
drew by chance from his jury lottery Yesterday
The great majority of them were absolute num-
skulls and douQhheads The lawyers wrestled
with them for six hours and ont of 100 talesmen
succeeded in obtaining one Juror. He was LOUIS
w Mares OF No 81 Christopher-st, q chairrnaker
and o man of evident intelligence. Iie served asa
Juror in the Thesis bOycotting ease Besides Mr.:
Mares there we're not dozen men on the panel
who were really fit TO serve in any case. The
Others were mostly bartenders and grocors' corks
and persons whose occupations require little educa
tion and meagre intelligence They had NOT even
the virtue of being anasing. Once IN while even
a madn' 'sumbuess is funny. but the stupidity OF
the psoplee xamined yesterday was uarelieyed Dy
any incident whicn could atone for the fatigue
hauo aannRd.